{"id":7757,"date":"2022-10-27T15:15:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T15:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/hips\/a-to-z-guide-to-yoga-cues\/"},"modified":"2022-10-27T15:15:07","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T15:15:07","slug":"a-to-z-guide-to-yoga-cues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/27\/a-to-z-guide-to-yoga-cues\/","title":{"rendered":"A-to-Z Guide to Yoga Cues"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth yoga, fitness, & nutrition courses, when you <a href="https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/outsideplus" class="o-content-cta-link" data-analytics-event="click" data-analytics-data="{"name":"Element Clicked","props":{"destination_url":"\/outsideplus","domain":"<>","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}”>sign up for Outside+<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

You experience dozens, if not hundreds, of yoga cues each time you take a class. Some are so instantly recognizable and understandable that you follow them almost without thinking. But occasionally a cue comes along that makes you pause and want to ask a bewildered, \u201cWhat?!\u201d<\/p>\n

The following list addresses both types of yoga cues. You\u2019ll find insights from experienced teachers on familiar cues that you might want to explore with greater awareness. Other expert explanations demystify some of the more confusing and esoteric cues. And still others debunk well-intentioned but potentially injurious cues that don\u2019t belong in your yoga practice. And there are a couple of cues that we included simply for your amusement.<\/p>\n

A: Adduct and abduct<\/h3>\n

You probably hear these words all the time, yet it can be tough to differentiate them from one another. Annie Carpenter<\/a>, a senior yoga teacher and creator of SmartFLOW yoga, has a trick for remembering which is which. \u201cWhen I hear adduction, I think of \u2018adding in,\u2019\u201d she says. Adduction refers to movements in toward the midline of the body\u2014for example, wrapping your arms and legs in Garudasana (Eagle Pose)<\/a>. Meanwhile, abduction refers to movements away from the midline, such as taking your arms out to the side in Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II)<\/a> and positioning your knees away from one another in that same pose.<\/p>\n

\"A
(Photo: Andrew Clark)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

B: Bring your biceps in line with your ears<\/h3>\n

You may have heard this yoga cue in several poses, including Utkatasana (Chair Pose)<\/a> and Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)<\/a>. While there\u2019s nothing inherently wrong with the cue, it can lead to misalignment if not properly explained, says  Kathryn Budig<\/a>, yoga teacher and author of Aim True. <\/em>This is especially true in Down Dog, in which you\u2019re supporting your body weight with your upper body. \u201cTaking your biceps to your ears can cause you to drop your head too low and collapse in your upper back,\u201d she says. \u201cInstead, I prefer to say to my students, \u2018Keep your ears in line with your arms.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

C: Close your eyes<\/h3>\n

If the only time you shut your eyes in your yoga practice<\/a> is during seated meditation or Savasana (Corpse Pose), you\u2019re missing out. \u201cClosing your eyes can help you to disconnect from visual stimulation and find more stillness,\u201d says San Francisco-based yoga teacher Laura Burkhart. Senior yoga teacher Giselle Mari<\/a> adds that closing your eyes in a balance pose, such as Vrksasana (Tree Pose)<\/a>, challenges you to use your inner senses to find your center.<\/p>\n

D: Draw your shoulders down your back<\/h3>\n

Alexandria Crow, yoga teacher and founder of Yoga Physics<\/a>, is on a personal mission to put an end to this common cue. \u201cWhen your arms go overhead, your shoulder joint itself goes up\u2014that\u2019s the natural movement,\u201d says Crow. \u201cPulling your shoulders down while your arms are up is not only dysfunctional, it doesn\u2019t fix the problem of people scrunching their shoulders up to their ears, which is the reason this cue took hold in the first place,\u201d she explains. When you hear this cue, notice if you\u2019re experiencing that scrunched posture in your neck and shoulders, but otherwise don\u2019t worry about it.<\/p>\n

See also<\/em> Alignment Cues Decoded: \u201cDraw Your Shoulder Blades Down\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Woman
(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

E: Hug your elbows to your sides in Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)<\/h3>\n

This is one of the most vital yoga cues for Chaturanga<\/a>, says yoga teacher and Yoga Journal contributing editor Jason Crandell. \u201cIt\u2019s essential to pull your elbows into your side ribs while keeping your forearms perpendicular to the floor,\u201d he says. This creates greater stability in the joint where your upper arm bone and shoulder blade connect. Of course, it also requires upper-body strength, so Crandell encourages his students to drop their knees if necessary to offload some weight while maintaining the integrity of the pose.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also hear this pose in Bakasana (Crow or Crane Pose)<\/a>, in which it similarly provides stability and the desired engagement during the arm balance.<\/p>\n

F: Flower your anus<\/h3>\n

Admit it: When you first heard this cue (or its cousin, \u201cblossom your buttocks\u201d) you laughed or cringed or perhaps both. But what exactly does it mean? And why would anyone want to do it? While this cue\u2019s origin is unclear, many teachers suggest it may be an awkward attempt at saying \u201cwiden the sit bones\u201d or \u201crelax the glutes.\u201d But it doesn\u2019t always have that effect on students. \u201cI\u2019m like a 4-year-old when I hear this,\u201d says Budig. \u201cIt makes me laugh every time.\u201d Which may, in fact, help us relax those glutes!<\/p>\n

G: Ground down<\/h3>\n

\u201cGround down\u201d sounds simple enough. But Noah Maz\u00e9, founder of Yogamaz\u00e9<\/a>, says grounding down involves more than pressing your feet into the floor. \u201cIt\u2019s important to activate your pelvis, hips, and gluteus muscles to create the proper push-down action that firmly grounds the feet,\u201d Maz\u00e9 says. To do this, try to spread your weight evenly between the inner and outer edges of your feet in Tadasana (Mountain Pose)<\/a>, he says.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not all about activating. \u201cAllowing your body to settle into the ground allows your skeleton to hold some of your weight, so your muscles don\u2019t have to work as hard,\u201d explains yoga teacher David Magone. As usual, it draws on that balance of effort and ease.<\/p>\n

\"Woman
(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

H: Square your hips<\/h3>\n

Despite decades of teachers cautioning their students to square their hips to the front of the room in twisting poses such as Revolved Side Angle, Revolved Triangle, and Chair Twist, Magone says your hips don\u2019t actually need to be squared. In fact, the motion creates torque, he says, which weakens the space between the hips and the torso and ups your odds of injury<\/a>. Instead of trying to stay square, allow your pelvis to rotate in the same direction as your spine, which will allow for a much deeper spinal rotation and reduce the likelihood of lower-back pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

See also<\/em> How Yoga Teachers\u2019 Cues Unintentionally Focus on the Negative<\/a><\/p>\n

I: Inner rotation<\/h3>\n

In yoga, sometimes you have \u201cto draw in to move up.\u201d This is sometimes cued as \u201crotating your inner thighs\u201d toward either the floor or the ceailing. Carpenter says Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose)<\/a> is a good example: Practitioners often push their inner thighs up because it makes them feel like they are lifting higher. But this can cause the glutes to grip, which in turn forces the sacrum to lift and puts pressure on the lumbar spine. \u201cFor any backbend, you may have to engage your glutes to get off the floor, but then it\u2019s helpful to turn your internal rotators on and let your glutes go. This allows you to soften your groins and lengthen your iliopsoas and lower back,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

J: Jumpback<\/h3>\n

A jumpback is when you literally jump back from Standing Forward Bend at the front of the mat into Chaturanga Dandasana. It\u2019s common in Ashtanga yoga as well as some vinyasa approaches to yoga. What does it take to master the jumpback<\/a>? Practicing Lolasana (Pendant Pose)<\/a>, says Crow, which trains key muscles for the movement: Kneel on the mat with each hand on a block placed outside of each shin. Press your palms firmly into the blocks and straighten your elbows. Round your back, pull your navel toward your spine, and bring your thighs toward your chest.<\/p>\n

K: Kick up into handstand<\/h3>\n

It may be tempting, but don\u2019t kick up into any inversion.\u201cWhen you kick into an inversion like Handstand<\/a>, you\u2019re using momentum rather than control, whereas you should be focusing on moving with precision,\u201d says Crow. What\u2019s more, kicking reinforces the notion that the final posture is more important than the steps it takes to get there.<\/p>\n

To build patience and precision when practicing Handstand, Crow recommends starting with your hands a few feet from the wall and walking your legs up the wall so your torso and legs make an L shape. When you\u2019re feeling strong and steady, move away from the wall and place your hands on the floor. Raise and extend one leg, then use your standing leg to lightly bounce (not kick) up. This will allow for more control and muscle engagement, enabling you to work up the strength to do Handstand in the middle of the room.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s especially important that you not kick up if you\u2019re in a crowded class as you can harm others if you topple over.<\/p>\n

(Photo: Andrew Clark)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

L: Lengthen the sides of your body<\/h3>\n

This cue creates spinal elongation\u2014both while you practice and when you\u2019re off the mat, says Crandell. To lengthen the sides of your body in poses where this can be challenging\u2014such as in Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)<\/a>, Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose),<\/a> and Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose)<\/a>\u2014imagine you\u2019re stretching from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head, which will lengthen your torso on both sides, says Crandell.<\/p>\n

M: Microbend your knee<\/h3>\n

This cue can be somewhat controversial. How micro<\/em> is the bend, after all? Amy Ippoliti, co-founder of 90 Monkeys, an online resource center for yoga teachers, suggests thinking of it this way: \u201cYou are trying to ever-so-slightly soften and bend your knee, and at the same time, putting some effort into straightening your leg,\u201d she says. This cue is especially relevant for those who have a tendency to hyperextend (over-straighten) their knees, which can cause unnecessary wear and tear over time. \u201cCreating these two opposing actions in your knee brings balanced strength to all the intricate muscles of your lower leg,\u201d Ippoliti says.<\/p>\n

N: Neutral spine<\/h3>\n

Maintaining a \u201cneutral spine\u201d\u2014or \u201cthe natural curves of the spine,\u201d as many teachers describe it\u2014is a cue that\u2019s universally embraced. \u201cIt is important because it optimally distributes force among the intervertebral discs, which act as shock absorbers,\u201d says Maz\u00e9. When your spine is out of its natural alignment, excessive force can become concentrated in one area, which can lead to injuries such as bulging or ruptured discs.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, keep in mind that in some poses (like forward and backward bends<\/a>) you want the spine to come out of neutral in order to flex and extend. \u201cIn a balanced yoga practice, you are moving your spine in every direction,\u201d says Maz\u00e9.<\/p>\n

O: Open your heart<\/h3>\n

As countless ballads have told us, the heart is a complex thing. Crow agrees, explaining that the cue \u201copen your heart\u201d carries multiple meanings in a yoga class. On a physical level, it can refer to broadening through your chest or lifting your sternum upward. However, it can also imply that students\u2019 hearts are emotionally closed off\u2014an implication that can be hurtful. The consensus? This cue doesn\u2019t resonate with everyone. Use it or follow it only if it feels right to you.<\/p>\n

P: Pretend you\u2019re between two panes of glass<\/h3>\n

Most teachers have stopped using this phrase when cueing Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)<\/a> in recent years. But if you still hear it, ignore it, says Ippoliti. \u201cIt prompts students to externally rotate both legs, which means the femur (thigh bone) heads will not be fully seated in the hip joints,\u201d she says. \u201cThis can limit range of motion and flatten the lumbar curve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, when you come into the pose, adjust your thighs and butt so your femurs sit into your hip joints, then draw the buttock of your front leg under to externally rotate your front leg as you turn your chest away from that leg. According to Ippoliti, \u201cthis is the safest way to get the opening most practitioners seek in this pose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Woman
(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q: Activate your quadratus lumborum<\/h3>\n

Gary Kraftsow, founder and director of the American Viniyoga Institute, says the quadratus lumborum<\/a> (QL)\u2014which connects the spine to the pelvis\u2014doesn\u2019t get the attention it deserves. When your back muscles are weak, the QL picks up the slack, which can cause it to contract excessively and become fatigued.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean most students understand how to activate the QL on demand. To engage and strengthen this muscle, Kraftsow recommends practicing a variation of Janu Sirsasana (Head-of-the-Knee Pose)<\/a>: With your left leg extended straight and your right leg folded in, twist your shoulders to the right and lower your left shoulder to your left knee, then take your right arm up and over toward your left foot. Hold for 5\u201310 deep breaths, then switch sides. Hello, QL.<\/p>\n

R: Release<\/h3>\n

In the quest for perfect yoga poses, we often sharpen our focus on performing the pose, rather than releasing or dropping into it. However, Tias Little<\/a>, founder of Prajna Yoga in Santa Fe, New Mexico, says reminding students to release helps them deeply relax the body. \u201cBecause people tend to carry stress in the jaw, mouth, and other areas of the face, I like to use cues around releasing cranial structures, like \u2018Drop into Savasana of the tongue,\u2019\u201d says Little.<\/p>\n

S: Subtle body<\/h3>\n

The phrase \u201csubtle body\u201d is often used to describe the idea of weaving together yoga wisdom and physiological function. It helps people open to a state of inquiry and discovery, shifting focus from an outward performance of a pose to an inward exploration, says Little. \u201cIt\u2019s all about observing sensation in the body: the movement of the fascia and pulsation of blood moving through the veins,\u201d he says. \u201cThat kind of attunement in each pose is what makes yoga a moving meditation.\u201d<\/p>\n

It can also refer to the less physical and more energetic aspects of your being and how you\u2019re holding yoursef in each moment. Consider it an invitation to notice your balance of effort and ease\u2014physically and otherwise\u2014in each pose.<\/p>\n

T: Tuck your tailbone<\/h3>\n

Most teachers no longer use this cue because a majority of students tend to overtuck, says Budig. \u201cTucking your tailbone can create more length in your spine\u2014but when you take this action too far, you flatten the natural curve in your low back,\u201d she says. Instead, she tells her students to \u201crelease the tailbone as you simultaneously draw your lower belly up\u201d\u2014dual actions that prevent practitioners from overdoing it on the tuck.<\/p>\n

\"A
(Photo: Andrew Clark. Clothing: Calia )<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

U: Use your props<\/h3>\n

If Mari had her way, every student would be issued a standard blanket, block, and strap upon walking into a yoga studio. \u201cSometimes a block is exactly what you need,\u201d she says, noting that cues that call for props are not just for beginners\u2014they can also help experienced students discover a pose in a different way<\/a>. Budig agrees, adding that \u201cprops can help yogis learn what it feels like to have power and strength in a pose as opposed to collapsing in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

V: Visualization<\/h3>\n

Cues that prompt you to visualize how you engage in a pose help you connect to the pulsatory rhythms of a pose, known as the nadis<\/a>, instead of simply trying to get the mechanics of it right. \u201cVisualization directs people to the sensory experience,\u201d says Little. \u201cImagery helps me perceive my body as an energetic field, where the elements of wind, rivers, fire, and moonlight are expressed, rather than simply as a collection of muscles, bones, and flesh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Woman
(Photo: Andrew Clark; Clothing: Calia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

W: Go to the the wall<\/h3>\n

Walls are often an overlooked asset for deepening your practice by helping you practice engagement. It can be especially great for beginners, says Carpenter. Pressing into the wall helps you practice the engagement you eventually want to find without that external support.<\/p>\n

The wall also acts as a prop in more restorative styles of yoga, including everyone\u2019s beloved Legs Up the Wall Pose.<\/a> and can help you find a deeper stretch in Yin Yoga postures<\/a>.<\/p>\n

See also<\/em> 8 Ways (Besides Handstand) to Use a Wall in Your Yoga Practice<\/a><\/p>\n

X: X-Ray Vision<\/h3>\n

X-rays help us see things more clearly\u2014a key concept in Patanjali\u2019s Yoga Sutra<\/a>, and one that yoga teachers who veer into the philosophical teachings of this ancient practice might explain. \u201cPatanjali points out that in viewing the world, we tend not to see reality clearly, but instead we\u2019re deluded by the error of false perception,\u201d says David Life, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga. \u201cThis confusion about the true relationship between the act of seeing, the object seen, and the identity of the Seer, is the root cause of suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cure? Using a kind of x-ray vision comprised of viveka<\/em><\/a> (discrimination between \u201creal view\u201d and \u201cunreal, apparent view\u201d) and vairagya<\/em> (detachment from a mistaken identification).<\/p>\n

Y: Focus on you<\/h3>\n

Yogis are often urged not to compare themselves to others. This can be easier said than done, in the studio and in life and off.  Kraftsow says one way to embody this important cue is to remember that true yoga is not about doing a series of poses but rather learning about yourself. \u201cYou use each posture as a tool to understand what\u2019s going on in your body,\u201d he says. This includes not just the physiological but also the psychological and energetic experience of a pose.  \u201cAsana is a means to come to a deeper understanding of self.\u201d Explore your engagement with the pose and notice where you might be resisting the pose in your body as well as your mind.<\/p>\n

Z: Zip up through the midline<\/h3>\n

Engaging your midline is key to turning on your all-important core muscles, which promoting better balance to helping you feel more grounded and connected to yourself. The cue to \u201czip up\u201d makes it easier by signaling you to tap into the energy that resides in your sushumna nadi, <\/em>the hub that runs along your spine around which the entire energetic system is organized, says Magone. He likes to use this cue when teaching backbends. \u201cPulling the abdominals gently inward and upward in a backbend increases your range of motion because it creates a deeper stretch in the rectus abdominis muscles<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article has been updated. Originally published June 13, 2017.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"A-to-Z<\/figure>\n

An exploration and explanation of the good, the bad, the confusing, and the just plain hilarious.<\/p>\n

The post A-to-Z Guide to Yoga Cues<\/a> appeared first on Yoga Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[37,35,36],"class_list":["post-7757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ayurveda","tag-blogs","tag-yoga","tag-yogacourseware"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7757\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}